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Attack articles will not change the views of those working in the BBC's policy department. If you/we believe there are societal/economic benefits to the open we

Attack articles will not change the views of those working in the BBC's policy department. If you/we believe there are societal/economic benefits to the open web, they must be argued persuasively and clearly. Too many digital commentators and bloggers do not engage with these issues in any productive way. Attack articles do not reform political procedures, substantive policy suggestions do. The BBC quite obviously, and validly, worries that open use of its content will put it at a competitive disadvantage. They can foresee International producers withdrawing content from its platforms if its distribution channels are not duly protected. That does not seem like an unfair concern. There might be space to argue that the BBC is being short-sighted. That is to say, that while we understand its concerns on this issue, the introduction of DRM will negatively affects its longer term success. That is to say, the success of the BBC has been prefaced on the wide distribution of its original content around the world. In fact, it wouldn't be too strong to say the BBC's reputation rests on the free, worldwide distribution of its news programming -- today this has been inherited by its news website. We might press the concern that locking all of its content behind DRM technology will harm the wide distribution of its content, hurting awareness of its international brand. We ask the BBC to consider the following example: fears of recording radio programming have existed since the early 20th Century. If the BBC, cracked down on its distribution in response to those issues in the 50s-, we believe the BBC wouldn't be the worldwide powerhouse it is now. Locking up its content is not in the long term interests of the BBC brand, esp. as the developing world -- China, Brazil, Russia -- start looking online for reliable programming. Therefore, we call on the BBC to initiate a review into the implications of its policy decision, and its effect on international brand awareness. This isn't my argument, but at least it understands, appreciates, and responds to their economic concerns.

Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago
The guys who control BBC are not employes of policy or any other BBC department. The old boy networks in UK currently see the open Internet as extremely dangerous and will do almost anything to monitor/limit/regulate/restrict it.
- anigbrowl 14y ago
  This is exactly the sort of the thing the grandparent talks about. Your post has rhetoric but no substance. If you want to be persuasive, show your evidence and make an argument. A bunch of unsupported assertions just reads like a temper tantrum.
  - Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago
    Well, I'd say any person with a bit of practical experience will understand that the way BBC (one of the most influential medias in the world) policies are set is not by hiring people and letting them work based on high morale criteria. I have myself worked for BBC, all the important decisions in the department I was with were run trough and ultimately dictated by some Lady, that was the boss of some media fairness committee. That committee was privately funded, completely outside of public control. On the Internet politics in UK, just look at the laws the Parliament passes. All the traffic in UK is now logged by the providers and available to the government agencies. There are a few black lists. The government is spending a ton of money on the Cisco, IBM, Oracle systems also employed by China and Saudi Arabia.

Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago

The guys who control BBC are not employes of policy or any other BBC department. The old boy networks in UK currently see the open Internet as extremely dangerous and will do almost anything to monitor/limit/regulate/restrict it.

anigbrowl 14y ago
This is exactly the sort of the thing the grandparent talks about. Your post has rhetoric but no substance. If you want to be persuasive, show your evidence and make an argument. A bunch of unsupported assertions just reads like a temper tantrum.
- Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago
  Well, I'd say any person with a bit of practical experience will understand that the way BBC (one of the most influential medias in the world) policies are set is not by hiring people and letting them work based on high morale criteria. I have myself worked for BBC, all the important decisions in the department I was with were run trough and ultimately dictated by some Lady, that was the boss of some media fairness committee. That committee was privately funded, completely outside of public control. On the Internet politics in UK, just look at the laws the Parliament passes. All the traffic in UK is now logged by the providers and available to the government agencies. There are a few black lists. The government is spending a ton of money on the Cisco, IBM, Oracle systems also employed by China and Saudi Arabia.